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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509194">In The Beginning</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritKitten/pseuds/SpiritKitten'>SpiritKitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The World Around Us [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dead by Daylight (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Dehydration, Don't mess with crows, Gen, Is it technically abuse if he does it to survive?, Jake is tired, Jake's just trying to keep his friends alive, Jake's still happy that there there, Meg fucks up, Starvation, They don't help much, This is what this series is going to be about, world building</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:55:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritKitten/pseuds/SpiritKitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake still remembers the first few ‘months,’ if they could be called that, of this hell scape like the back of his hand. Each moment seared into his head like a engraving on a piece of old wood.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Claudette Morel &amp; Meg Thomas, Dwight Fairfield &amp; Claudette Morel &amp; Jake Park &amp; Meg Thomas, Dwight Fairfield &amp; Jake Park, Jake Park &amp; Meg Thomas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The World Around Us [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771009</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In The Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Good evening, or what ever time your reading this! This is the start to my new series, which I'm so excited about.</p>
<p>This was inspired by me wanting to know more about the whole Entity's world and what it was like around the campfire, but I couldn't find any lore, so I made my own. So please, enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jake still remembers the first few ‘months,’ if they could be called that, of this hell scape like the back of his hand. Each moment seared into his head like a engraving on a piece of old wood.</p>
<p>In the beginning Jake and the other ‘original survivors’, as the others like to say, had awakened in a ridiculously hard trial. They had, of course, all died hanging on rusty hooks because they had no idea what the hell was going on. Jake had thought that he’d had a nightmare, only to wake up to strange and horrified people. And then they too had said that they had experienced the same thing. All of the others had thought that they were having a mass hallucination, government drugs or some shit, and Jake had thought the same thing. Well, he did, until it had finally set in that they were being brutally murdered over and over again.</p>
<p>When the sun never came up after what felt like days and when, no matter how much they traveled through the woods, they always ended up back at the same campfire, they had accepted that they would never get out. Jake had accepted that he would never return to his open and warm forest or his cabin. That he would never see his mother or older brother ever again.</p>
<p>Jake and the others hadn’t had time to think about it that long before they realized their pressing needs though. They were hungry, especially since they had just gone through exhausting trial after exhausting trial, and needed food and water.</p>
<p>Except that Jake hadn't seen any animals or water, or really anything, for miles. He knows, he had walked the woods for longer than any of them had. He had continued on for days while the others had already given up, only being pulled back from searching for more trials. He hadn’t seen a single drop of water. There wasn’t even any rain.</p>
<p>Jake had returned to his new companions tiredly and disappointed. He always returned to hopeful faces and burning eyes, only to have to snuff it out with his findings. Bright eyes turned colder until Jake had returned to unenthusiastic and reluctant faces. Jake himself could find that his own face had been returning the same expression. It was ridiculous, he lived in the woods for almost 3 years, he should be able to find a mesial creek for god's sake!</p>
<p>But... No matter how hard he looked he couldn’t find anything, probably because there <em> wasn’t </em> anything.</p>
<p>If it weren’t for the weeds that Claudette had found then Jake and the others would have died of dehydration pretty fast. They were barely anything, not holding any nutrients and barely any water in them, but they were something. </p>
<p>It didn’t matter for too long though, because after a while of living on scraps your body starts to change. Jake had to watch as his new friends got skinnier and skinnier. Had to watch while they got more lethargic and tired, not wanting to do anything except lay there and cry. They would sleep for days, only waking for trials and the odd search for herbs. Jake himself could barely get along, only getting up to get motivated to try and find water or food again, only to have to drag himself back tiredly.</p>
<p>Dwight was the first to go. He had refused to eat anything, barely even waking up when Claudette had tried to get him too. They just split his share between the three of them, watching as Dwight slowly let go. Starvation wasn’t a pretty sight.</p>
<p>The next to go were Meg and Claudette. They passed together. It happened so fast, Jake didn’t even notice it occurring. One moment he was leaving the camp, one last time to go find water, and the next he was unenthusiastically dragging their bodies to where they had placed Dwights’. He slumped over, exhausted, making sure to close their eyes and place them in an, at least, some kind of dignified position.</p>
<p>He ended up dying a few hours later, curled up in a ball next to the campfire. Silent tears flowing from his eyes while he begged for something to just kill him again. The gnawing hunger in his gut had given up a long time ago, but he could still feel the sickening emptiness in his chest. The way it was hollowed and caved in from the ever present void in his stomach.</p>
<p>In the next few moments he was upright, sitting with the others again. He watched while Dwight broke down in front of them. Screaming about how they were never getting out and how they were just fucking puppets. Jake had to agree, had to stop and wipe the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, as he felt the pool of dark fear and pain twist in his gut.</p>
<p>It happened a few more times, the fear and pain of dying from hunger. Each time Jake would be the last, watching while the others died randomly. He would always drag their bodies back to the same spot just outside of the campfire so that he didn’t have to look at their crumpled bodies. And then creep tiredly to his own next to the fire to cry to death.</p>
<p>Each time only made the skin around his ribs get tighter and tighter. Each movement that he made tugging at his exposed ribs. While the Entity reset their hunger it never reset their bodies. Making it obviously clear that they were getting thinner and more weak with each death.</p>
<p>The death became so frequent that Jake didn’t even blink an eye when he would return to dead bodies after searching. </p>
<p>What was more surprising was the actual river that he found a few deaths later. He knew it wasn’t there before, but he did question it. He immediately dove back to camp to bring the others. Desperately trying to get them to check it out.</p>
<p>It was hard, they hadn’t believed him when he told them. They thought he was hallucinating from the pain. They had long ago given up the hope that they’d actually get anything from this hellish scape, but he had to try. He had to convince them to come with him.</p>
<p>When he actually got them back to the riverbank he was so relieved. He had been worried that he would lose it and that he would never find it again. But, as he led the others back, he had somehow got the feeling that he was meant to find it. Like it was a start, a start to a change in this world.</p>
<p>Jake would later realize that this was the Entity’s way of saying that they would actually get food and animals. That it realized that they would be better food if they themselves had something to eat first. Probably because they had been giving up on the whole surviving the trials thing. May not have tasted very good to them, him and the others not being scared or worried of death anymore.</p>
<p>But he was more focused on the fact that he had actual water in front of him. He had dropped to his knees, ignoring the ache in them to scoop up the murky liquid in the palms of his hands and gulp it down by the fist full. He barely even noticed the others doing the same thing.</p>
<p>It was gross, bitter and gritty, it also had some kind of funky taste to it. Jake can still feel the dirt in his teeth from where it lodged itself from those days. It felt even worse going down as it was in his mouth. It made their throats raw and scratchy, but Jake didn’t care because it had been the best tasting thing he had ever had. He had finally gotten water.</p>
<p>They stayed there for a while, not willing to stray away from their only water source. Dwight had even cried when Meg had suggested looking for other, and more cleaner, sources just in case this one was the ‘bad’ one. Not that Jake could blame him, he too wanted to just curl up and stay there forever. It didn’t last long though because they still had trials to do, and they always respawn back at the campsite.</p>
<p>And when he did get back, him and the others raced to find it again, rejoicing when they stumbled back upon it. Claudette had tears running from her eyes, and Dwight was shaking. That had to be one of the best days of Jake’s life in the Entity’s realm.</p>
<p>Next came the animals.</p>
<p>Water is good and all, in fact it’s pretty damn awesome, but it still didn’t help stop the hunger pains... or the death. They just kept dying, over and over again. Except this time it was slower because they actually had something substantial to keep them from dying from dehydration.</p>
<p>But Jake kept wandering through the forest. Eyes set out to scan the terrain for food. The others thought it was pointless. Always saying that they had already struck gold once, why would it happen again. But Jake was hopeful, he could tell the world around them was changing, things were becoming permanent, more real. Like the Entity had finally chosen what it wanted to do.</p>
<p>Before Jake could walk for a certain amount of time before walking into camp again, maybe 30 minutes at most, but now he could walk for a long time. He went out for around 6 hours once, coming back home to a bunch of worried and exhausted friends. Apparently the Entity had let him explore while sending his friends into a bunch of rough, three player games.</p>
<p>They had thought he had disappeared, that the Entity had taken him away to be stored or murdered for real this time, or something bad like that. They were very happy when he came back, they had jumped up onto him in a group hug and made sure to stick around him for a few trials. Always check up with him and making sure that he was really okay.</p>
<p>Not to mention he could start identifying where he was, or well, what part of the forest he was in. It was like a puzzle that you could combine with any pieces you like. One section was split from the other and would be placed in another spot when Jake returned to search the woods again. But he could still identify them, and he could interact with them. </p>
<p>He left a scratch on one of the trees, a big one with his knife, shank thingamajig. When he came back and looked for it it was still there. Jake was ecstatic when he found it. This meant that, if they do get animals, they could set traps for them!</p>
<p>One thing that always stayed the same was the distance and direction the river was to the campfire. No matter how much the scenery changed between them and away from the river it always stayed right there. Which was a big relief to Dwight. He didn't want to search for it every time he needed a drink of water.</p>
<p>It was just after a trial when he found it. A tiny rabbit, about the size of a gerbil, silently chewing on the grass in front of him. It was slightly purple, with darker stripes marking its body, and had really long ears. Almost twice the size of its body. Something Jake didn’t really find in the woods back home. He winced, thinking it was a baby for a second before seeing a few more near him scattered about the clearing and realizing that it was the normal size for the new creatures. </p>
<p>Jake pulled out his knife, silently creeping up to it. It didn’t move, not even when it saw him, just stayed there nibbling the grass around it. It was… weird, but Jake didn’t question it. It was food, something him and the others would be able to sustain themselves on. The others were going to be so happy when he went back.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Jake was immune to the screams back home, he had done it so many times. The way Rabbits screamed when they died or got scared. Just like a human, high pitched and loud. But here, they sounded demonic. They sounded like his friend but more glitchy or darker. Like they were trying to mimic it to get away.</p>
<p>It made it hard, so painfully hard, to kill the rest in the clearing. Jake didn’t even want to catch the last few who didn’t run away after hearing one of it’s fellows dying, but he forced himself too. One tiny rabbit wasn’t enough for four people. He needed to at least catch a few more so than he and the others would get a good meal.</p>
<p>So he continued on, he caught the last few, wiped the blood off his knife and swallowed down his shakiness. He tried to shake the screams from his ears while he hurried back to camp. He didn’t think the trials would have affected him in this way, not being able to handle rabbit screams.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>They were not happy. </p>
<p>Even though they were starving to death, over and over again, they were not <em> happy. </em>In fact they were mad, very mad, furious even. They had come up to him, curious about what he was holding, only to jump back in disgust and start yelling at him. He tried to explain but they just kept screaming at him about animal cruelty and vomiting.</p>
<p>Meg was tense, standing a few feet away from him, eyes still trained on the tiny bodies in his hands, “How could you!” She threw her hands up, eyes barely able to tear away from the rabbits.</p>
<p>“I’m not eating that!” Dwight shook his head, eyes and voice the same kind of watery. He turned away not even looking at the knife that Jake had dropped to the ground next to the fire. He was trying to get ready to skin it, if only the others weren’t trying to get him to take the carcasses away.</p>
<p>“It looks like a baby, Jake!” Claudette screeched, face pale and white-washed. She was even shaking a bit. “Is it a baby!” Jake didn’t blame her for thinking that, but still, it’s good meat. </p>
<p>Jake huffed, he crouched down next to the fire, making sure to clear the area of debris and other things that the others had set out. No point in making them mad by throwing blood on top of their things.</p>
<p>Claudette suddenly stepped forward, arms crossed and head tilted up. “I’d rather starve than eat that!”</p>
<p>Jake paused, freezing, before laying the bodies down in front of them. They already were starving! He had already caught them so what was the point in wasting their lives by not eating it! They were being ridiculous, he gets that they’ve probably never actually caught their own food before, but still! If they wanted to starve then they could stare, but Jake is still going to eat it!</p>
<p>“Then starve!” Jake slammed out, what the hell were they even thinking!? He hunted for them, something he’s never done for anybody else, and now they're angry that he’s even suggesting eating it. Well fuck that, fuck them, he was not wasting food because they can’t handle the sight of a little bit of blood. “But I'm eating it. I killed it so I'm not going to waste it just because you bunch of faint-hearts don’t want to eat a damn animal!”</p>
<p>He waited for an answer, the silence piercing the sky like a knife through a spleen. He could feel the tension in the air, like dark clouds on the skyline, a waiting storm that was meant to happen. </p>
<p>Jake grabbed a bunch of sticks from the side where it was pulled so that they could easily throw it into the fire. It never went out but it still got low, low enough that they could barely see each other if they didn't add any fuel to it. He settled them off to the side for later use, not needing them right at that second. The bubbling fury in his chest getting even more worked up with how cold the others were being towards him and his offerings.</p>
<p>“Did you not realize this,” Jake takes a second to point at the rabbit, eyes practically burning holes into all of his friend's skins. “It is in practically every meat product you’ve eaten!” </p>
<p>Maybe not rabbits, but cows and pigs and chicken. They were all the same. Life for meat, they had to have realized this at some point in the fucking lives! It was clearly quite simple. He knows that they aren't vegan. Dwight practically starts off every conversation he has with the others about pizza and their many different flavors. He’s even said that his favorite had to be double meat supreme, for god’s sakes!</p>
<p>Not to mention both Claudette and Meg love to talk about cooking and eating their favorite meals with their families. Meg’s favorite had to be macaroni and beef bits, while Claudette's was honey beef balls! They had to have thought of it, especially because of the amount that they were protesting him cooking the rabbits.</p>
<p>They all glanced at the ground, but it was Claudette who spoke up again. Eyes barely moving from the dirt she was so interested in, voice quiet and reserved. “It’s not the same-”</p>
<p>“Yea, it is.” Jake cut her off quickly, voice harsh and cold. Of fucking course it is. At Least they were wild when he killed them. At least they had a fucking chance to live for awhile. And he’s not wasting a single thing off of this creature like the meat industry does! They’ll use the fur for clothes and the organs for extra meat. Hell, they could even use the bones to make extra shivs later.</p>
<p>Jake continues on, not letting them put in their own thoughts. If they were stupid then they don’t get an opinion. “Don’t get mad at me for trying to feed you.” If they wanted to continue starving forever then let them, maybe when they die again they’ll see how fucking stupid they were being.</p>
<p>Jake ignored their next comments to instead pull a rabbit from the pile to begin skinning it. Cutting into its belly and sliding the knife up and under it’s skin. Instead of throwing it away he set it to the side, listening to the other shriek and groan out in disgust. He could later wash and sew up the fur to make a scarf or something. No point in wasting good materials.</p>
<p>“Oh, God, I’m going to be sick.” Claudette huffed out, a hand covering her mouth. Dwight looked pale, eyes watering. Meg even looked sick, she had moved away, waving her hand over her nose to get the smell of blood  and guts out of it.</p>
<p>Jake just shook his head. Yeah, yeah, he gets it. He’s gross. </p>
<p>He pulled up the next rabbit and carried on to do the same thing to it. Skin it, and then remove the organs and tiny bones. “If you're so upset then why don’t you just go take a walk or something.”</p>
<p>He was tired of their shit. If they didn’t want to see it then they could go take a hike or something, anything that would get them away from him and making him even more annoyed. Maybe if they didn’t actually see the process then they’d be able to actually eat it. That’s what they do at home, anyways.</p>
<p>He watched while the others glanced between themselves and the forest. Dwight was scared of running into the Trapper, and the other two didn’t go out often so it seemed scary to them. Jake didn’t care about the creepiness, or the killer. He’s run into him several times, and it doesn’t seem like he’s interested in killing them outside of the trials. So if they make sure that they stay close enough to see the light of the fire then they should be fine.</p>
<p>Not that they listen when he tells them that, though...</p>
<p>“When you get back it’ll be done.” Jake tries to reason with them, again, voice even while he skins another rabbit. He wipes the bloodied knife onto his cargo pants, continuing with, “You won't have to think about where it came from then,” while glancing up at them.</p>
<p>A miserable silence takes over the campfire, settling over it like a fog. Jake just sighed, taking the last rabbit and skinning it. He only brought four, one for each of them. He thought that they would have been happy, that they would have excitedly asked him where it came from and if they could help him catch more. But <em> noo </em>, they were angry that he would even think that they would eat it. That’s what Jake gets for thinking that someone else would have been happy that he did something for them.</p>
<p>If they were the real size of a rabbit then he only would have had to kill two of them. But they were animals conjured up by the Entity. And Jake doesn’t think the Entity knows a lot about the real world. At least it was trying its best.</p>
<p>“Sorry…” Claudette whispered out, Jake could barely even hear her over the sound of the fire and his knife working its way into the skin of the rabbit. Making it easier to pike it on the sticks that he brought over.</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Jake lowered his eyes to the ground near them, voice low and tired. “Jus- Just go take a walk or something.”</p>
<p>He could see her nod in the corner of his eye, motioning to the other to come with her. They leave off in a slow movement, glancing back at him before disappearing in the fog and undergrowth. They left a giant silence and monotonous feeling in the air as they left.</p>
<p>Jake signs under his breath, moving to sick the rabbits into the ground by the fire. He’ll have to rotate them in a few minutes, but it’ll work all the same. He just hopes they’ll eat it. He doesn’t want to see them waste away again. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>…Even if they are little shits.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>They ate it in the end.</p>
<p>When they came back they slumped over to him, bellies growling and tired. They didn’t say anything, only stared at him with pitiful eyes, apologetic and full of sorrow. Apparently they had thought it over and decided that eating innocent animals was better than starving to death. Or at least that's what Meg had said later on to the newcomers to try and convince them to eat as well.</p>
<p>He had handed them their fresh new meat sticks and watched while they scarfed it down. Claudette had almost thrown it back up but managed to keep it down in the end when Jake and Meg helped explain it to her that it would just mean that the poor thing had died for nothing. Meg and Dwight had done fine, just wallowed in their misery for a while and whined about having to do it.</p>
<p>Overall, Jake thinks it went over well.</p>
<p>They had reluctantly asked for him to go get more when they returned from their next trial. Hungry and tired he droopily got up and got a move on to go find his friends some food. He couldn't help the smirk on his face when he returned with a rather large squirrel and a few more rabbits. They had all looked away in distaste when he skinned them again.</p>
<p>It was… rather enjoyable knowing that he was actually helping his friends. Although that feeling didn’t last long. He got tired of going out constantly and catching food for his friends by himself. It took a long time for him to catch them, and skin them, and then cook them. It didn’t leave him with a lot of time to sleep or do his own things, which the others got to do practically all ‘day’. </p>
<p>He wanted help, but none of the others would go out with him, or well, Meg did but she screwed up almost eminently and now can’t do much without the crows attacking her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Jake had explained this to them they vowed to try and help. While Dwight and Claudette refused to leave, for various reasons, Meg decided to go out with him. She even made herself a spear out of a carved stick and some glass she found last trial and set out to learn about hunting with a smirk on her face.</p>
<p>It went pretty well, Meg was fast enough to catch the fat squirrels before they ran up the trees and climbed them if she didn’t get there in time, it was pretty impressive if Jake’s being honest, but it all went downhill fast. Jake was just walking around the corner when he noticed Meg staring out off and into the distance at a crow that was perched on a branch a few meters away. It too was watching them hunt.</p>
<p>Jake knew immediately what she was about to do, and quickly pushed her away from it. Quickly adding an, “Yeah, no,” when she didn’t move with him.</p>
<p> He ignored her protests, making her grab her catch off the ground while he dragged her along. She had caught two squirrels today. They were big, the size of actual rabbits, which meant that they didn’t have to catch anymore. Claudette always complains when they catch too much. “We don’t go after the crows.”</p>
<p>“What, why not!?” Meg fumbled her way out of his arms, turning back to look at it again. Its beady eyes glaring down at her in distaste.</p>
<p>Jake let out a clearly annoyed growl, moving to tug her back to the river bed. “Because they’ll fuck you up.”</p>
<p>It really was just a clear and simple thing to understand. He once watched a crow follow and terrorize a baby bear for hours because it tried to eat one of it’s friends. It didn’t even stop when the mama came and smacked it away. They were something you don’t mess with, <em> under any circumstance. </em></p>
<p>“It's just a damn bird.” Meg threw her hands up, both eyebrows up and arched. She shook her head before turning to look away from him in disbelief. “It won’t do anything to me, especially if I kill it first.”</p>
<p>“Meg, will you just listen to me!” Jake shook his head, she should just listen to her. He’s the expert here. Did she live in the woods for almost 3 years!? No, no she didn’t. The best she got to nature was the park and short hikes and runs through the mountain pathways. “Crows are smart, and they’re pack animals. If you kill one of them the whole flock will come after you. For. a. long. time.”</p>
<p>Meg glanced around with a huff, “I don’t see any other ones around, do you?” She crossed her arms, facing his way to stare down at him again.</p>
<p>“Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they're not there!”</p>
<p>“Ugh, you're no fun.” Meg threw her hands out again, leaning down on one foot to grab her spear so that they could travel back home.</p>
<p>“Come on we have enough to eat anyways.” Jake glanced down to what Meg had in her hands, “We have to get back before the others worry.”</p>
<p>She groaned again, clearly not happy, “fine!”</p>
<p>Jake moves to leave, grabbing his own hunting gear before walking back the way they came. They weren’t that far off, just a few meters away from the river. He was so distracted from getting away from the crow that he didn’t even notice that Meg wasn’t trailing behind him like she usually does. In fact he didn’t notice it until he heard her scream, followed by a large amount of angry screeching and crackles. </p>
<p>His eyes widened while he watched her run, faster than any other time he’s ever seen before, past him and over to the campfire. It was faster than the first time she ran away from the killer.</p>
<p>He had to run to try and keep up, but she was just way too fast. He could only see her hit the barrier in the distance, the crows squaked, hitting it, before huddling up at the edges on the tree branches to glare down at her menacingly. </p>
<p>They ignored him when he walked by to get into camp, just continued on staring at Megs crumpled form.</p>
<p>She had large lacerations and scratch marks on her skin. Even her shirt was ripped and bloodied, practically torn apart at the seams. Claudette and Dwight were cramped up around her, worrying about her wounds and skin. Meg just sat there, teary eyed and huffing while Claudette took her medkit out to begin healing her.</p>
<p>“Fuck.” Jake couldn't help but chuckle at her even statement. Even if it was because she just got mauled by an angry pack of birds.</p>
<p>Jake shook his head, trying not to laugh at her irritated and done expression, “Told you not to mess with them.”</p>
<p>“I...” She paused for a second, “ I didn’t think they’d notice.” She pouted at him, hissing away when Claudette poked at one of the deeper cuts on her side.</p>
<p>“They always notice. And they always hold a grudge.” He still remembers that poor baby bear. He sighed, he can’t believe that he just lost his help because she was stupid enough to throw a spear at a crow. “I don’t think you're going to be able to leave camp for a while.”</p>
<p>Meg let out a disgruntled groan, rolling over so that Claudette could patch up another wound on her belly. Jake and the others were definitely never letting her let this go. And they didn’t. They made sure that every new survivor learned the story. At least it kept them from attacking the crows themselves. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Claudette didn’t want to help Jake because she still cries when he brings back their food. Instead she helps him prepare it, not the skinning part obviously, but the whole cooking it and then seasoning thing. They had even found an old cooking pot, the size of a medium pan, that they had been making stew out of. </p>
<p>She goes off with Meg every once in a while, since they don’t need to worry about scarring off the prey, seeing as it’s herbs and stuff. She comes back and makes healing ointments and other medical supplies for them with it too. It was pretty amazing how she knew what all of it meant and how to make it into healing stuff.</p>
<p>Jake tried learning how she makes them but he’s not very good at it so he sticks to hunting rabbits. He still cringes to this day on how bad he did. He didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to eat it once you were done. But then again, Jake’s never been good with injuries and patchy himself up, not even when he was living alone outside for those couple of blessed years.</p>
<p>Dwight tries his best, he learned how to make snares and other traps by watching Jake, but he doesn’t go out very far. He always sticks to the campfire, never going out any further than the river. Jake tries to explain to him that he’s ‘met’ the killer, and that he doesn’t seem to want to kill them, but he never listens. He’s just way too nervous.</p>
<p>So, most of the time, Jake’s alone. Which meant that no matter how many times he looked over to the deer, he could never catch them.</p>
<p>They were huge, giant creatures the size of a baby elephant. Not to mention that they are completely black, like someone had grabbed a lump of coal and mushed it into their fur. They were also spotted, but it didn’t do much to help see them in the pitch black night. And they always have antlers, huge sticky antlers that have to be at least the same size of their body, whether their male or female or not. Jake’s definitely not going up against those things alone.</p>
<p>Which sucks because Jake really wants to eat venison right now. It’s his favorite kind of meal out in the woods and it would have really cheered him up, but no, he wasn’t going to get himself killed, or worse maimed, for some stupid meat that might not even taste the same. As it did back in the real world.</p>
<p>Jake was trying to convince Dwight to walk further into the forest. He had been crying about not being able to get that far into it and had asked Jake to help him, but no matter how much he complains about it he doesn’t even try to assure himself that it was fine. He just kept backing up and whining about the killer.</p>
<p>Jake just didn’t understand, Dwight has seen Jake and Meg come back safe and unharmed from the woods. He’s walked out with Claudette to collect herbs with her sometimes and he’s even heard that the killer didn’t even care about them! But he still doesn’t want to even try and find out for himself.</p>
<p>Jake huffed, already getting tired of how Dwight was protesting even just taking a step from where he was, just one! He’s acting like Jake had just suggested that he jump off a cliff into the ocean a hundred feet down. Like he was in mortal danger for Christ's sake! He could literally just run back to the campfire in a few seconds.</p>
<p>“Dwight, It’s just one foot.” Jake walked out a little further to show him, only to have to back up to make sure Dwight wouldn’t cry because he was leaving him behind out here all alone. “It won’t kill you to just take a single step away from where you are.”</p>
<p>He glanced about frantically, shaking and teary eyed, “But what if the killer sees me!”</p>
<p>Jake ran a hand through his greasy hair, he hasn’t taken a bath since he had gotten into this world. You can’t exactly bath in dirty water, it would only make it worse. Claudette and Meg were complaining about it earlier to them, but Jake didn’t really mind it. He didn’t take baths very often back in his own forest.</p>
<p>Jake sighed, trying to think of a way to convince him to continue on. They’ve been over this again and again, but no matter how many times he explains it Dwight never listens. Jake just isn’t good with this, with convincing people not to be afraid. “He doesn’t come this far out, where not even close to where he walks.”</p>
<p>It was true, Jake’s never seen him this close to where the campfire is. He’s not even seen him 10 miles away from his own camp. Jake has only ever seen him leave to go visit his own house, but that’s only to go collect scrap and other materials for his traps. He just doesn’t have any interest in them, he completely ignores Jake when he, himself, goes into the others camp.</p>
<p>“But what if he does come this way!” Dwight wrings his hands against his chest, whining. Man, Dwight was a good leader, but he could also be such a baby sometimes. “Were so far away from the campsite.”</p>
<p>Jake blinked at him, far away, they were like 200 meters away from the camp. That’s like 1/26th of a mile. He gets <em> way </em> farther than that on an average day. “We’re like two feet away from the river.”</p>
<p>“So!” He crosses his arms, glaring at Jake like he was being the annoying one. Which, if Jake thinks about it, he kind of was, but y’know whatever. It’s not like he was the one to ask for help and then complained about having to do it.</p>
<p>Jake rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, copying the other man.. “Dwight, I walk like 10 miles away from this spot a day. And I don’t spot the killer until I’m like 30 miles away.” He waves his hands out to the trees around them, “We're definitely not going to see him today.”</p>
<p>Dwight shakes his head furiously, “But, what if he does come, wh-what if he actually knows I'm out here!?” He stares at the ground nervously, fingers ticking against his arm..</p>
<p>“Then I’ll distract him while you get away.” Jake uncrosses his arms to turn away from Dwight and move to a nearby tree. They were supposed to be taking a walk, not arguing about it. “It’s not like he’ll actually attack you.”</p>
<p>Dwight looked at him sharply, eyes piercing into his soul. Jake thought it was unnerving in how he could do that, just give him the dad stare in a few short moments. “Yeah he will, he’s the killer Jake!” He took another step back, towards the water and the campsite, “He’ll see us and he will try to murder us, he always tries to kill us!”</p>
<p>Jake groaned, slumping forward to rest his head into his palm as he stared back up to Dwight with disdain, he was always arguing about this. “Dwight, I already told you, he doesn’t care.”</p>
<p>“I-I don’t believe you!” He huffed, turning his back on Jake and towards the water, clearly ending the conversation. Kind of like a toddler. It reminded Jake of his niece and her tantrums. </p>
<p>She always huffed about not being able to eat candy before bed, not that Jake didn’t try his best to sneak it to her under his brother's attention. It was probably the reason why Jake just didn’t storm off after Dwight refused to move from his spot. It’s not like he would get murdered out here, but still, he seemed so scared.</p>
<p>Jake rolled his eyes, moving to stand next to Dwight. He was staring off into the river, eyes glassy and distant. Clearly thinking about something, Jake’s not entirely sure what, though. He does it pretty often back at camp when he thinks nobody's watching.</p>
<p>“I- I wanna go back now…” Dwight whispered it, like he was afraid someone would actually hear him. Maybe he was, Jake sure didn’t know what was going through the older man’s head at the moment.</p>
<p>Jake sighed, they clearly weren’t going any further, but he has to at least try, “Dwight-”</p>
<p>“Please!” Dwight cut him off quickly, head slamming up to look at him pleadingly. Eyes red from unfallen tears and stress.</p>
<p>Jake glanced off to the side, eyelids slipping lower while he watched the murky river water ripple and crash against the banks calmly. He let a slow breath out before continuing, “Okay, maybe next time…”</p>
<p>Jake hates that Dwight doesn’t even try to take the chance, doesn’t want to try and walk with Jake. He knows that he’s just scared, but it’s ridiculous that he doesn’t even try and get rid of that fear. It would be so easy if he just took a few more steps, if he just walked a little longer. But no, Dwight just wants to stay in the ‘safe’ camp and cry about being weak and alone all the time.</p>
<p>If only he realized that he could rely on them as much as the others rely on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Claudette had wanted to learn how to skin rabbits, and she was, but she kept backing up to take a breath and not throw up.</p>
<p>Jake has to admit that she’s doing pretty good, but it was still annoying that they had to stop every other second to let her breathe ‘fresh’ air. It was kind of hard to teach her when you have to go over the steps over and over again because she keeps stepping out before you can demonstrate it to her.</p>
<p>He could also tell that his other two friends are getting hungry, they keep staring at them. He’s glad their patient, he didn’t know if he could handle their complaints on top of Claudette's obvious discomfort in trying to skin an animal. He’s already annoyed enough with her as it is, he didn’t need the extra from the other two. </p>
<p>“Claudette!” Jake stopped her from walking away again, this was starting to get ridiculous. She wasn’t even pale or sick anymore, she was just leaving because she didn’t want to see it. Which she needed to because she’s trying to do it herself! “This is like the 5th time we’ve had to stop on this step! Do you even want to do this!?”</p>
<p>“Yea- Yes!” She jerked in his grasp, head slamming up to look into his eyes jitteringly. “I-I just- Oh- oh got those are guts,” She swallows hard, eyes slamming away from the mess in front of them.</p>
<p>Jake took in a deep breath. He was never good at teaching people things, he knows he gets mad easily, but this is hard. He just needs to focus on <em> why </em> she was leaving every few moments, “Yes, and if you want to do this you’ll have to see them everyday.”</p>
<p>She swallowed again, eyes glancing back to the blood before darting back away, “I-I know…”</p>
<p>“Claudette-” Jake tries to start but is immediately cut off.</p>
<p>“Please Jake! I’m trying.” Claudette pulls out of his firm grasp, eyes searching out Meg’s for comfort.</p>
<p>“I kn-” He was cut off again before he could say anything.</p>
<p>Claudette scratched the back of her hand, “I just want to help!” She looked off into her best friends eyes tearily.</p>
<p>“Claudette I-” Jake was really starting to get mad now, he was trying to comfort her but she wouldn’t let him get a word in.</p>
<p>“Okay, I get it, I can’t stomach this but-”</p>
<p>“Claudette!” Jake yelled, throwing his hands into the air angrily, scattering a few flecks of blood, only stopping to take a breath when she squeaked in return. He continued on more calmly, “You're already helping me cook, you don’t have to skin them as well.”</p>
<p>She stopped for a second, contemplating what he was saying. “But you're always complaining about it…”</p>
<p>Jake hummed, “ Yeah, but I just do it because I want to.” </p>
<p>He really should stop that, it was kind of pointless. And his father was always saying that pointless things shouldn’t be said. It made things complicated and could accidentally reveal secrets. Which, Jake guessed, was kind of true. He just felt comfortable around them enough to voice his discomforts, but it looks like he just made everything worse by doing it. </p>
<p>“I’m not actually mad about it Claudette.”</p>
<p>“Really?” She sounded so hopeful, her eyes still glassy from where she had looked over at the rabbit again.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Jake quirked his lip up at her, the best he could do for a smile. He wasn’t very big on them.</p>
<p>She smiled back, cheery and red eyed, already shuffling back so that she couldn’t see the animal in front of them anymore. “So, I don’t have to do this?”</p>
<p>“No.” Jake shook his head to emphasize what he was saying, making sure she understood.</p>
<p>“Oh, thank god.” She leaped up and moved to go sit by Meg, eyes not even glancing back in fear of seeing the skinned rabbit in front of the, now alone, Jake.</p>
<p>It was quiet for a second before Meg spoke up with a loud question, “Does this mean we're actually eating tonight?”</p>
<p>Jake lets out a deep sigh, “Yeah, just give me a sec.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Jake waved Meg to him from the bushes. Trying to get her to see the rabbits just in front of them. She was always so focused on the sky now that she didn't even realize that she had just walked into a patch of bunnies. They all scattered about her, desperately trying to run away from the distracted woman.</p>
<p>They were trying to hunt with each other again, trying being the key word. Meg had reluctantly joined when she realized just how tired he was getting. Unlike the others he has actually been walking almost 20 miles a day, on top of running from killers and shit, but they did that too so it didn’t count. He didn't just get to stay at camp all day, resting up while doing their own chores. He had to run around chasing squirrels and listening to heart-breaking screams.</p>
<p>So, yes, he gladly accepted Megs help when she offered. Even if it looked like she didn’t want to do it.</p>
<p>Well he was glad until he realized that she was so focused on the crows following them around that she was scaring away all the prey, making it even harder to find and catch them. Ever since he caught those rabbits they’ve been running away from him. Which makes sense because he would run away too if him and all his friends were being murdered, has been running away from his murder actually.</p>
<p>Jake crept closer to a lone bunny, making sure not to crack any of the branches while he pushed himself out of the bush. He barely had any time to react before Meg had jumped up, aiming her spear towards the branches in the trees, screeching, scaring the rabbit and making it run away.</p>
<p>“Meg!” Jake whispered yelled, not wanting to scare off all the rest of the prey in the area around them. “Will you pay attention!”</p>
<p>She kept her eyes trained on the leaves above her, not even trying to lower her voice. “I know I heard it Jake!” she pointed her stick up into the sky, willing them to show themselves. “They're coming after me. Again!”</p>
<p>Jake growled, was she trying to make them go hungry tonight! “If they were then they would have already tried to kill you, now get you ass down here and try to hunt with me!” He was getting tired of her shit, this has happened like six times already. Six!</p>
<p>“Shh!” she whipped around to press a finger to her lips towards him and then turned back around to search the treetops again.</p>
<p>“Oh you little shit!” Jake stood up, gathering his things, who the hell did she think she was. He was trying to hunt and she kept scaring everything away, and now she’s trying to get <em> him </em> to shut up. “You promised me you’d help me hunt, this isn’t fucking helping! And it sure isn’t hunting! If you're so worried about being hunted yourself then go back to camp!”</p>
<p>She threw herself around, waving her stick in the air, clearly not listening to him, “Shut up! I think I hear them!”</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Jake groaned, “I'm leaving.” He shook his head. She never listens to him.</p>
<p>“Don’t follow me.” It’ll just cause him more grief if she did, he should have never have taken her up on that offer.</p>
<p>Jake pushed himself away from their little hideout in the bushes, ignoring her protests at being left alone. Jake didn’t particularly care if she was worried about the damn birds, but atleast do your fucking job and stop scaring away their prey. Jake only had a mesilly little bunny in his pouch, he made it from their fur, it was actually pretty good for carrying their meat. It both camouflaged himself and made his back warmer.</p>
<p>He hadn't made one for the others yet because he was testing it out, so that they don’t waste good materials and make bad gear. He’s satisfied enough that he’s thinking of making the rest some too. Claudette could really use it, she doesn’t have enough arm space to gather the amount she has. Although somehow Jake has a feeling that she wouldn’t like the idea of using their skinned bodies as a bag. She’s still not over having to actually eat them.</p>
<p>He would have already been back by now, but <em> someone </em> keeps scaring them away.</p>
<p>Jake had finally caught 2 squirrels by the time he heard Meg again. He was crouched down low, tiredly retracing his steps back to get back to the campfire when he heard her screaming some nonsense about pies and feeding it to killers.</p>
<p>And like the flash she had leaped out again in front of him like a bat out of hell, a flock of crows trying their best to chase her down. Jake could barely even see her compared to the winged beasts after her. She could really go fast if she wanted too.</p>
<p>Jake just shook his head and hunkered down to find the trail back to the campfire again. He was definitely not taking Meg’s help again next time. Not that she’d offer again either, though.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Although Jake had really hated how much they didn’t really try to help him and how much he complained about them he still loved that they were there. He couldn’t have made it without them.</p>
<p>He hopes that they felt the same way about him back then too, he’s never really asked. And he never plans to ask. He just knows that they always thanked him after he came back. Especially when Nea had talked shit about him hunting for them and then complaining about how much work it was. He knew they were worried about him not hunting for them after that, but he knew that they didn’t think the same way as her.</p>
<p>Jake still remembers the first time he’s realized this-</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Jake awoke in a cold sweat, tears building up in his eyes as he swallowed down the lump in his throat, all slimy and squishy. He shook them away, leaning up to desperately look for the others, a strangled groan on his tongue. He found them just a few feet away, gathered up together, backs to the fire.</p>
<p>God that had been one of the worst nightmares he had since he had awoken here. </p>
<p>He had been fixing a generator, only to find out that he had to get away from the Trapper. Except, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t run fast enough to get away and he kept running into bear traps. He had only managed to lose the killer by jumping from the Mcmillain house, practically breaking both his legs.This was all normal nightmare stuff but then he came home only to find all his friends dead by the fire. And somehow he knew, this time, it was permanent. He knew it had to do something with not being able to find any more food for them.</p>
<p>He swallowed again, moving closer to the bodies in front of him to make sure that they were breathing. Their silent chest moving up and down as they breathed in deeply while they slept. He couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief, only to jump back when Meg sifted in her sleep, afraid that he’d just awaked them.</p>
<p>They were all still asleep, though, and he was thankful for that. He didn’t know if he would have been able to stand them seeing him like this. He was supposed to be the strong one, afterall, the one that was silent and reserved and never cried for anything. He would have probably ran away if they had been awake.</p>
<p>He breathed in another sigh of relief, they were still alive and well. The skin around their ribs had grown again, making them all nice and solid. Not like how they were so weak and thin before the river. Like they were in his dream. In fact he’s pretty sure that Dwights just got a little more blubber around the frame, and that was pretty cool.</p>
<p>Jake and Meg were teasing him about it earlier, all in good fun. They had made sure that he understood that they weren’t being mean. In fact they were actually glad it was happening. After seeing them all so starved and thin from before it was cool seeing Dwight so healthy. It was so awesome that all his friends had enough to eat that they could actually get a little chubby, that it was okay to get this way because they had food to spare. They didn’t need to fear about running out and it showed!</p>
<p>He’s glad that he ventured out that day to find something to eat. Who knows what they’d be doing in that very moment without the discovery. Probably dead or somethin’.</p>
<p>He’s so glad that they were okay, though, that they were all full and fed and happy. Or as happy as you can get here, being murder and killed constantly. He didn’t even care if he had to hunt for the rest of his life, as long as they were happy and full and well then he’d be fine with it. Because they are his friend, his fucking family, and they make <em> him </em> happy.</p>
<p>Jake couldn’t help the little stutter in his throat as the tears flowed into his eyes, dammit he really didn’t want to cry right now. He didn’t even bother trying to wipe them away as he stared at his friends, happily watching while they slept contently next to him. He didn’t know if he could live with himself if any of them disappeared.</p>
<p>
  <em> God, he’s so fucking happy that there here! </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! I'd love to here your thoughts.</p>
<p>If you want a certain ship, trope, or just more screen time with a certain character then come hit me up! I'll also take in mind if you don't want a certain ideas, ship, or trope, too. I love hearing you guys ideas and thoughts. (I'll even do rare-pares and poly ships!) I don't know if I'll do ones with Jake just yet, but I'm pretty much up for anything.</p>
<p>Also my brothers note for this chapter is- "We had plans for the rabbit . ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)"</p></blockquote></div></div>
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